Van body door construction



Dec. 25, 1962 w. c. RIVERS 3,070,400

VAN BODY DOOR CONSTRUCTION Original Filed March 13, 1957 m z/vrae M/ba/a 2mm United. States Patent Ofifice 3,070,400 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 4Claims. (Cl. 296-28) This invention relates to van or truck bodies,trailer and semi-trailer bodies and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a van body of improvedconstruction.

Another object is to provide an improved door arrangement openable toswing flat against the side walls of the body and openable to expose thefull width of the body interior, and closable with improved weathertightseal.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of thisinvention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its organization and method ofoperation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, maybest be understood by reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation of a van body showing a door arrangement of aconstruction in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a detail view showing, on an enlarged scale, broken awayportions of the door arrangement of FIG. 1.

A rear door arrangement for the van body is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 inaccordance with the present invention, the arrangement beingparticularly adapted for use when it is desired that the doors exposethe full width of the inside of the body, to facilitate loading andunloading, or when it is desired that the doors be swingable throughabout 270 degrees to lie flat against the outer side wall and thussubstantially completely out of the way, when open. As shown in FIG. 1the doors 140 and 141 are mounted to swing on hinge pins 142 and 143,respectively, which are disposed preferably slightly outwardly of thedoor frame side members or rear corner posts 144 and 145 of the body,while a lock bar assembly 146, mounted to door 141, is arranged toengage with catches, such as catch 147 located in the sill 148, therebyto hold door 141 shut. Door 141 slightly overlaps door 140 to hold itshut until door 141 is opened. The slightly arched roof 28 and rearsection 37 of the top rail as seen in FIG. 1 are identical to the bodyportions specifically disclosed in my parent application entitledVehicle Body Structure for a Truck or Semi-Trailer, Serial No. 645,775,filed March 13, 1957, noW abandoned, and in the continuation applicationthereof entitled Vehicle Body Structure for a Truck or Semi-Trailer,Serial No. 70,081, filed November 17, 1960.

In FIG. 2, the inner and outer Walls 149 and 150 are seen to meet in atapered edge 151 which substantially conforms to and is complementarywith groove 152, edge 151 entering into groove 152 when the door isclosed. Edge 151 is shown as being formed by walls 149 and 150 into aV-shaped edge which engages within a V-shaped groove 152. The walls ofgroove 152, include an inner portion 153 of door frame side member 144and the portion 154 of a filler or cover strip 155 which encloses theside member. As seen, the side member 144, may be fo med of a structuralchannel member. Stationary hinge plate 156 is fixed to member 144, whilethe hinge plate 157 is fixed to the door 140. Hinge plate 157 may beshaped or offset at 157 in a manner to require notching of member 144 asat 158, and a sealing portion 159 may be arranged to prevent water fromentering the member 144. It will be seen that the swinging of door 140about hinge pin 142 will result in the movement of edge 151substantially out of groove 152 in a direction such that no part of theedge 151 will strike or rub against any part of the groove 152. Thisresult is obtained by the positioning of hinge pin 142 rearwardly of thegroove by a distance substantially greater than the depth of the groove,for example 2 or 3 times the depth of the groove and by proportioningthe groove to have a relatively wide angle between its walls 153 and154, such as an angle of about 45 degrees. Appropriate weatherstripping, such as foam rubber or felt, is preferably provided as at 160within the groove to form a tight weatherproof seal for the body.

The doors may be freely swung on the hinge pins 142, 143 through 270degrees to positions parallel to the body walls, and it will be seenthat the full interior Width is then exposed, the inner faces of theside wall posts being represented by broken line 161 and exemplary sidewall posts 15' and 162, also shown in broken lines, in FIG. 2. To permitthe doors to be swung in this manner, pin 142 is located outwardly ofthe inner edges or portions of post 144, as defined by filler or line161, so as not to protrude into the opening, while the pin is alsolocated either slightly outwardly of the outer side wall or so close tothe outer side wall line that the offset 157' of leafl 157 is suflicientto permit the door to swing open against the outer side Wall.

The rear corner post 144 may be connected at flange 153 by bolts (notshown) to a rear end side wall post 162, shown in broken lines, and theskin folded therebetween, all as described in connection With thecomparable structure for the right front corner post in myabove-mentioned applications Serial No. 645,775, and Serial No. 70,081.

It will be noted that the disposition of the weatherstripping betweenthe heavy flanges 153 and 153' of the channel member 144 protects theWeatherstripping, and filler strip 155 is similarly protected, againstdamage from articles passing through the door opening which may bump thedoor post, or rear corner post, 144.

This application is a division of applicants parent application SerialNo. 645,775, filed March 13, 1957, entitled Vehicle Body Structure for aTruck or Semi-Trailer.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has beenshown and described by way of illustration, many modifications willoccur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that itbe understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover allsuch modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. In a van body, a vertical door post having an inner face defining theside of a door opening, said inner face having an outer edge and aninner edge, said post having a V-shaped groove along said face betweensaid edges, Weatherstripping within said groove, a door having spacedinner and outer walls joined along a V-shaped edge substantiallyconforming to and nestingly fitted within said groove sealingly againstsaid Weatherstripping when said door is shut, a hinge having a leafattached to said door, a leaf attached to said post and a vertical hingepin spaced rearwardly from said groove by a distance equal to at leastapproximately twice the depth to which said door edge enters saidgroove.

2. In a van body, a vertical inwardly opening channel corner post ofsaid body, said post having a pair of spaced flanges, a filler stripconnected to one said flange and extending toward the other said flangeand defining the side of a door opening, said other flange and saidstrip defining therebetween a groove, a door having when closed an edgeportion entering said groove, a hinge having a first hinge leafconnected to said post and a second hinge leaf connected to said dooradjacent said edge portion thereof and a hinge pin connecting saidleaves and disposed rearwardly of said door edge portion and outwardlyof the inner edge of said post, and Weatherstripping in said groovebetween said other flange and strip engaged by said edge portion whensaid door is closed, said door when closed being disposed suflicientlyforward of said hinge pin that upon opening said door swings around saidpost freely through at least substantially 270 degrees.

3. In a van body having a side wall assembly terminating rearwardly at avertical door post substantially coplanar with said side wall assembly,said post having an inner edge adjacent said side wall assembly and anouter edge connected by an inner face defining the side of a dooropening, said post having a V-shaped groove along said face adjacentsaid inner edge, a door having spaced inner and outer walls joined alonga V-shaped edge substantially conforming to and nestingly fitted withinsaid groove when said door is closed, a hinge having a leaf attached tosaid door, a leaf attached to said post and a vertical hinge pin spacedrearwardly from said groove adjacent said outer edge of said post sothat said door swings freely around said post.

4. In a van body having a side wall terminating rearwardly at a verticaldoor post, said post including a channel having inwardly directedflanges, a strip connected to one said flange and extending forwardlytoward the other said flange and defining the side of a door opening,said strip having an outwardly directed flange portion, weatherstrippingbetween said other flange and said flange portion of said strip, a doorhaving when closed an edge entering between said other flange and saidflange portion and sealing against said Weatherstripping, a hinge havinga first leaf connected to the outer face of said post and a second leafconnected to said door adjacent said edge thereof and a vertical hingepin connecting said leaves, said pin being disposed rearwardly of saiddoor edge and outwardly of said outer face of said post so that saiddoor when opened swings around said post freely from its closed positionthrough substantially 270 degrees into a position substantially parallelto said side wall assembly and said outer face of said post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS964,020 Heintzelman July 12, 1910 1,231,069 Schaffert June 26, 19171,696,910 Gilpin Jan, 1, 1929 1,365,052 Wolters June 28, 1932 1,876,660Giltsch et al Sept. 13, 1932 1,930,635 Wessling Oct. 17, 1933 2,069,237Fitch Feb. 2, 1937 2,793,068 Tenenbaum May 21, 1957 2,839,791 Lee June24, 1958

